Ladder



(No Model.)

B. E. FOX 8v G..MQDORMAND.'

LADDER.

Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

llNrrn' #Srarns- EUGENE E. FOX AND GEORGE MODORMAND, OF SOMERVILLE,MASS.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,420, datedSeptember 2, 1884. Application filed June 6, aka. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be'it known that we, EUGENE E. FOX and GEORGE McDoRMAND, of Somerville,in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Ladders, of which the following isa description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any personskilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is anisometrical perspective View representing our improved ladder partiallyextended and the hooks engaged with the rungs, and Fig. 2 a like viewrepresenting it nearly closed and the hooks disengaged.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings.

Our invention relates to that class of ladders which are extensible orknown as extension-ladders, and it consists in a novel construction andarrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth andclaimed,

by which a more effective device of this character is produced than isnow in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby. all conversant with such matters from the following explanation, itsextreme simplicity rendering an elaborate description unnecessary.

In the drawings, A B represent the two sections composing the body ofthe ladder, and C the rungs.

Attached to either side rail of section A, near its upper end, there isa clamp, D, which loosely embraces one of the rails of section B, theseclamps forming ways in which said last named section slideslongitudinally on section A. A corresponding pair of cla-mps, E, areattached to the lower end of the side rails of section B, and form waysfor section A.

Disposed centrally between the side rails of section A there is avertically-arranged bar, H, supported by the upper rungs of said sectionand provided with the sheave J Journaled in the side rails of the lowerportion of section B there is a rocker-shaft, Q, provided at its centerwith the inwardly-projecting arm K, to the outer end of which a cord, L,is secured, the cord passing upwardly behind the bar H, over the sheaveJ, and downwardly between the rungs of the respective sections of theladder.

Rigidly secured to one end of the rockershaft in section B there is anupwardly-proj ecting hook, M, and to the opposite end of said shaft acorresponding hook, N, the hooks standing at nearly right angles to thearm K. The hook N is provided with a short bar or guard, 00, which ispivoted to the body of said hook and adapted to close it when turnedupwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby prevent the hook from engagingthe rungs of section A. A stop, m, is attached to one of the rails ofsection B near the hook N, said stop being adapted to prevent the shaftfrom turning too far or the hooks from assuming such a position as torender them liable topass under the rungs of section A, instead of overthem, during the operation of extending the ladder. A spring, 1", issecured to one of the rails of section B near the hook N, and is soarranged as to act upon said hook to force it inwardly into contact withthe stop m.

In the use of our improvement, the ladder is erected against thebuilding with sect-ion A innermost. The cord L is then pulled, rais-'ing the inner end of the arm K, throwing the hooks M N outwardly,opening the guard a and drawing up or elevating the outer section, B.When said last-named section has been raised to the required height, thecord L is slackened suddenly, permitting the spring 0" to force thehooks inwardly and cause them to engage a rung in section A, therebysuspending section B in a manner which will be readily obvious without amore explicit description. To lower section B or close the ladder, thecord is pulled downwardly far enough to disengage the hooks from therung with which they are engaged, and while so disengaged section B ispermitted to slide down section A, the guard at striking successivelythe rungs of said last-named section, closing the hook N, and therebypreventing the hooks from engaging the rungs.

We do not confine ourselves to using two hooks, as the hook M may bedispensed with. The rocker-shaft may also be used as a rung, if desired;or an additional rung may be employed, as preferred.

We are aware of the patent granted to Davis IOO I March 23, 1875, No.161,010, and do not claim anything therein shown or described, when inand of itself considered, our invention being essentially different fromhis.

Having thus explained ourinvention, what We claim is- In anextension-ladder, the section A, provided with the clamps D and sheave Jthe section B, provided with the clamps E and 10 stop m, therocker-shaft Q, provided with the arm K, the hook N, provided with theguard x and spring the hook M, and cord L, constructed, combined, andarranged to operate substantially as set forth.

EUGENE E. FOX. GEORGE MCDORMAND.

Vitnesses:

O. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE.

